The Wolf of Sherwood Forest
by PerfectIce
Summary: When the Sheriff's paranoia leads him to suspect Gisborne of betrayal, he orders a new weapon to be created. One that will poison the minds of his men into being unquestioningly loyal and mindlessly obedient. However, when the serum is tested on Guy, there are unforseen and monsterous consequences... Werewolf!Gisborne (is that even a thing?)
1. Humanity is a Weakness, Gisborne

**Ch 1: Humanity is a weakness, Gisborne.**

Long fingers drummed against the dark,_ expensive_, wooden tabletop of the Sheriff of Nottingham's rooms. Each thud echoed around the spacious hall, bouncing from the cold stone walls as the equally cold, stony eyes of the Sheriff gazed at the man before him from under hooded lids.

There were few things in life that Vaisey hated more than boredom. Peasants, crying women and Hood were some of those few things. Gisborne's infrequent clothes changing was another. But boredom definitely rated highly on his list. Coupled with 'the incessant _droning _of this so-called scientist whom I am suspecting may just be a lunatic obsessed with poisons'. A rather long and specific item on his list of 'Things That Bore Vaisey', but one that was there nonetheless.

And one that was currently happening. His drumming fingers stopped, and the agitated Sheriff raised both his hands to shut up the man yammering on before him.

"Yes, yes, _yes_, all _very _interesting..." Vaisey drawled, voice dripping the sarcasm so thick it could have choked him, "But does it _work_?"

The scientist, (Vaisey couldn't recall his name...he didn't care, really. He wanted to say Joe...Moe...Seth...Joseph? Yes, maybe _that _was it, he thought), paused for a moment, then streamed off again in a rambling answer that caused the Sheriff to roll his eyes and slump forward, his forehead hitting the table with an audible _thud_.

"_Yes _or _no_, does it _work_? So help me, if you utter one extra _syllable_ in your answer, I will have your tongue fed to you."

Joseph froze mid-sentence, then paused for a long while - he was obviously struggling not to respond with something that began "Yes, _but_..." Eventually, he settled on an answer that would not end in him dining on his own tongue.

"...Yes."

The effect was immediate. The boredom that clouded Vaisey's eyes instantly lifted; He stood up, hands slamming down on the table and a broad grin splitting his face.

"We got there in the end! Well _done_!" He exclaimed, "...Unless, of course, this concotion of yours doesn't _work_, in which case, you will still be feasting on your waggling tongue before sunrise."

The Sheriff, still smiling, walked around the table and strode towards Joseph, clapping a hand on his shoulder briefly. "So...let's see if it does work, _hm_? You really ought to be more eager to do so - honestly, I'd be quite happy if it didn't work. I'm curious to see how a man would chew and swallow food without a tongue..." Vaisey mused, leading them both out of the room and down the stone staircases, lower and lower into the basement of the castle.

The poison that Vaisey had asked Joseph to create was a peculiar one; It was to be one that would 'poison' the mind of any man who ingested it, causing a fever of the brain that would stall a man's own wants and ability to think for himself (or think at all). In essence, it would cause a fever of the mind so potent, it would leave its victim so utterly confused he would not question the orders given to him by someone else, and would follow them _exactly_, for he would have no other thoughts or ideas of his own to follow. In effect...it would make a man completely and unquestioningly loyal to the Sheriff.

A perfect weapon.

Because, if truth be told, Vaisey was pretty certain that all of his thwarted plans would have succeeded had he men who followed _exactly _what he said. All their failures happened when they _didn't _follow every order exactly (or so he told himself). If you want a job doing and all that la-di-da-di-da... but sadly, he could not do everything himself, but he could not succeed when surrounded by idiots. Or traitors. He did so _hate _traitorous minions. With this poison, Joseph claimed any man would be as "obedient and loyal as a dog."

Finally, the two men reached their destination; The prisoner cells below the castle. For in these cages, Vaisey had the perfect test subject lined up for Joseph's latest concoction.

Vaisey did so _hate _traitorous minions.

And this _particular _minion had been so _loyal _for so _long_, that, had Vaisey a heart, it would have pained him when he discovered this man had slowly become disloyal and was betraying him quietly. His once obedient lapdog and protegé had allowed his humanity to take grip on him, making him become _very _slowly disillusioned with Vaisey's way of doing things. True, it was a slow and gradual process, but one the Sheriff had noted. How else could Hood and his merry band of fools manage to breach the guards and infiltrate his castle so _damn frequently_. Every time Vaisey upped the guards and watch...this so-called loyal servant was secretly calling the guards off duty, deliberately lowering their numbers to let Hood in. Not that either Hood nor Vaisey had been aware of this...until now.

Vaisey squatted down to peer in through the bars at the chained and beaten man, a look of mock disappointment on his face.

"I'm going to _assume _you've not been _stabbing me in the back _out of some newfound love for Robin Hood?" He smirked, watching the man glare back at him through curtains of matted black hair. "No...I didn't think so. Honestly, it's rather _pathetic_, you know...changing your tune to dance for your pretty lady. Because, that's what this was all about, wasn't it? You're trying to win _her _over, and _she _doesn't like _me_, so..." Vaisey shrugged, laughing as if this were no more a bother than poor weather, "...But...you are not a good man, are you? Too little, too late, I feel. You've killed, you've stolen, you've betrayed, you've abandoned...and suddenly, now, you've decided to grow a conscience?"

The man behind the bars finally spoke:

"...I had nothing. I was mocked...so I wanted power. I admired you...you gained power quickly and efficiently. I wanted that. I thought it would gain me respect...but I've seen over the years that no matter how much power I gain...I gain no respect. Just fear...it took me too long to realise because I did not want to believe I had followed the wrong man..."

Vaisey sighed, straightening up to stand up again, shrugging and letting his arms fall to his sides dramatically in a sign of defeat.

"Well...I would say there is nothing I can do about that..._oh!_ But there _is!_" He said excitedly, turning to Joseph as if he had only just realised the scientist was in the room with them. "You'll make a lovely test subject, Gisborne...I would _so _hate to lose your loyalty. Worry not! Joseph here has _kindly_ created a little serum to..._restore _your loyalty to me. It's very _costly _to train a man to fight like you, you see."

He turned and nodded to the guards by the cell, who marched briskly into Guy's cell, dragging the confused looking man out. Vaisey's grin broadened at the look of confusion of Guy's face - he had no idea about Joseph's poison, and so he seemed resolute that he would never follow Vaisey's orders again.

"Take him outside. _Make an example of him_." He ordered the guards, following behind them as they dragged Guy out into the courtyard.


	2. It's Always Been Your Failing

******Ch **2**: It's always been your failing.**

"Good _lord_, look at those smiles!"

The Sheriff stepped out of the castle onto the grand staircase, arms opened wide at the gathering of peasants and townsfolk who had come to see the humiliation of Guy of Gisborne. There was little love for the Sheriff's lieutenant and his ruthless executions of the Sheriff's will. To see the man who had torn so many families apart, caused so many to suffer for another man's belief of what was right...the crowd was, for once, willingly and happily gathered to see the Sheriff's public punishment.

There was little questioning as to why Guy was being punished, a less caring. It could be safely assumed the man had simply failed in yet another mission, and the unhinged Sheriff had decided enough was enough. Or he may have simply said the wrong thing at the wrong time to his master. It would not be unheard of.

Guy, gagged, bruised and beaten, was dragged up onto the hanging platform by a rope tied to the cuffs binding his hands. He could say nothing, but his eyes shot venom under a dark glare at anyone unfortunate enough to fall under his gaze.

"Look, Gisborne! The people are smiling for you! Had to happen eventually, ey?" Vaisey mocked, nudging to toe of his boot into Guy's side. "Not convinced they love you though. It's more..._sneering_. Wouldn't you say?" Guy said nothing, but glowered up at the Sheriff. If Vaisey was at all bothered by the glare, he did not show it, for he continued to address the crowd. "Today, we have proof that even the most _loyal_, the most _dedicated_, the most _trusted_ can fall foul to romanticism and fairy tales. I assume none of you are strangers to the man at my feet...nor to Robin Hood.

"You see, this man has betrayed us all. Though he claims hatred for the outlaw, he has been actively lowering the guard and watch, weakening our security to allow bandits and rogues easier access to our homes."

The gasp of shock came not from a horror that the "bandits" that were Robin and his group being given an easier time into Nottingham and the castle; The people knew well that Robin would not steal from them. No, the shock came that Gisborne of all people would be helping Robin in any small way at all. Why? What had been slowly turning Vaisey's most faithful and loyal into a dagger in his side?

For now, only Guy could answer these questions, and even without the gag, he would not. His hatred for Robin had not diminished at all, but his questioning of the Sheriff and his own goals had been brought to light by one woman who had the uncanny ability to drag whatever was left of Guy's conscience out of the blackness of his soul. It made him believe...foolishly, Guy thought to himself, that he could yet be saved. He could have been a good man, but on his quest for power he had lost that path, for good he had assumed.

...Perhaps that was his real jealousy for Hood. He could have been that man...once upon a time.

Guy was dragged out of his brooding thoughts by a sudden, sharp yank of his hair pulled his head back, his gag ripped from his mouth as a guard forced him to drink from a small vial.

* * *

"_Robin!_"

It was a skill that Much had acquired through many, many months of running through the forest that he could now manage it, in any state of panic, without catching his foot on a root and falling on his face. And panicked he was - if what he had heard was right, then the Sheriff's new weapon was more fearsome than Greek Fire.

"_Robiiiiiin! Ro-_OW!"

Much all but collided with his once-master, who managed to grab Much before he greeted the ground.

"Much, Much, calm down!" Robin laughed, though it was a laugh laced with nervousness at Much's panic. Robin knew him well enough to know when he was overreacting or when he was rightfully worried. "Take a breath...and tell me what is going on."

By now, they had attracted the attention of the rest of the group, who ceased what they were doing to hear Much's tale. The man was doubled over to catch his breath, before he began his tale.

"The Sheriff...he's got a-a weapon...a poison. He claims that he can control people through a sickness, a-a-a brain fever of sorts. Some kind of poison. He's got the means to create an _army _out of people who don't even agree with him! He's showing it off as we speak!"

Robin's brow furrowed, thrown entirely by this revelation. It was madness, sheer madness...and had the Sheriff written all over it. How such a thing could be possible was beyond Robin, but stopping the Sheriff's madness was within Robin's scope. He turned to Djaq, seeking answers.

"Is this even possible?"

Djaq opened and closed her mouth, as bewildered by the revelation as the rest. She shrugged and said, "I...I don't know. In theory? Yes...but the science behind it would be complex. I can't tell you what it could be..."

Grabbing his bow, Robin nodded to his group.

"We go to Nottingham. _Now_. Whether this is real or not, the Sheriff cannot be allowed to turn fear into a weapon...if he has this poison, we stop him. If he doesn't, we expose him. The threat of losing your mind would be enough to turn anyone into a reluctant soldier."

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Slipping in to the crowd gathered around the square was simple enough. It seemed the entire event had pulled even the most diligent guard from his post with curiosity. The hooded Robin managed to push through the crowd in time to see exactly who the Sheriff was using as an example of this new weapon of control.

"..._Gisborne_?" Robin whispered to himself; What was the Sheriff playing at, to use his most loyal as a subject as an example in such a thing? His fears were realised as he saw the flash of a small vial being forced between Gisborne's lips. Was the Sheriff staging the whole thing? Using Gisborne as a ploy, to pretend he had a means to control a man? Sure, Gisborne had suffered enough humiliation for the Sheriff's gain, he would not (or could not) protest if he was asked to do so again. Still...the bruises on Guy's body suggested this was more than just a staging. He'd been punished already for something...is that why he had been suspiciously absent from tracking Robin and his group of late?

To the horror of the crowd, Guy suddenly screamed in pain, writhing and twisting against his bonds as if the guard had skewered him with his sword rather than fed him a small vial of liquid. The scream was so raw, so agonizing that even Vaisey took a step back, frowning down at Gisborne. The raven-haired man slumped forward, sweat beading and falling from his convulsing body. Something was wrong, and it could be felt through the whole crowd as those at the front began to scream of the Devil and demons, running terrified from whatever it was they were seeing. Robin pushed further forward, out of morbid curiosity if nothing else, the burning question in his head: _What weapon did the Sheriff have that was so powerful?_

Freezing to the spot, Robin's heart stopped as his question was answered.

Guy had looked up, spotting Robin through curtains of matted, black hair...

...his eyes burned an impossible yellow, the whites of his eyes had flooded with the darkest black. His lips were pulled back in a snarl of hatred Robin was used to seeing...only without the sharp, lupine canines that threatened him now.

It lasted but a moment, though it was enough to freeze Robin's heart, before Guy slumped forward again, writhing and screaming in pain as his bones cracked and shifted under his skin, dark hair growing over him, muscles twisting and tearing as the man's body was forced to grow and change into something else entirely.

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**A/N: So yeeeaaaah, I'm about 3 years too late to this fandom, but I hope this story gets some reads! I'd love a few reviews, as I've never posted on this site before. Are my chapter lengths okay? Too long, too short? Any suggestions?**

**A little note on that bit near the start, "...Perhaps that was his real jealousy for Hood. He could have been that man...once upon a time. ", that was inspired by an interview from the DVDs where the writers said that their interpretation of Guy was a man who could have been Robin Hood, had he gone down a different road, and Marian can see that.**

**Also, I have no beta reader, so apologies for mistakes.**


	3. All These Men For One Dog?

**********Ch 3****: All These Men For One Dog?**

Though Robin was never one for superstition, he could not blame the crowd and guards for panicking as they did, for the accusations of witchcraft and devilry being screamed at the Sheriff. The noise of snapping and popping bones coming from Guy were all but ungodly, his pained cries only accenting the unnatural speed and manner with which his body was changing.

Breaking free of his bonds, Guy got to his feet...only his feet were more like paws now, with cruel, black claws pushing out from his toes and scraping along the wooden boards under him. He had grown much, much taller, and more muscular, covered head to foot with the darkest black fur. His face had elongated to that of a wolf's, his mouth parted in a snarl that showed sharp teeth dripping with saliva. Yellow eyes focused on the only people not running from him, Robin and his crew, and he looked all but ready to leap at them when the Sheriff's voice took the opportunity to return to him. The terrified Sheriff gave a strangled cry of terror, falling backwards over himself in his haste to put distance between him and the towering monster. The wolf's ears twitched at the sound and he turned to face Vaisey instead, growling and pacing slowly. With a scream the Sheriff broke into a run, heading straight for the safety of the castle.

"Guards! **_GUARDS! _**Keep that...that..._thing_ away from me!"

They knew not whether to obey out of fear of the Sheriff or disobey out of fear for the creature before them...

The wolf threw back its head and roared to the skies, before bounding through the square with alarming speed, swinging its clawed hands wildly and sweeping guards, people and property aside with ease, snapping its jaws at any who got too close. Robin signalled to his group to move, and they ran to pull as many people away from the chaos as possible, blocking the blows of the wolf with their weapons to defend the unarmed.

"W-Werewolf..." Much stammered, breaking the unified silence of shock that still bound the group, "I-It's a werewolf...devilry..."

Robin came to his senses then, realising it was up to him to rally his group.

"We've got to get it out of here." He said, his voice stronger than he felt right now. "Lead it out of the town and into the woods, away from these innocents."

"You're using us as _bait_?" Will turned to Robin, his normally calm eyes betraying his fear, "It'll catch us before we reach the gates, Robin."

"Then we slow it down with whatever we can. Put anything you can in-between us and it. Barrels, market stalls, anything it'll have to scale to get to us. It's quick, but we are smaller. We can outrun it."

Will took a second to nod in trusting understanding of Robin, but it was a second he couldn't spare - the wolf was not so kind as to wait for them to finish speaking, and ran at the group, whacking Will aside with such force that the young man was sent crashing into the wall of the house nearby. It lunged at Robin next, who managed to nimbly roll out of the way, attempting to make his way to the fallen Will. From what he could see, the man was not moving, and the blood gathering under him was enough to set Robin's heart on ice.

"John! Grab Will, get him out of here!" He ordered; There was too much happening for them to focus on any one thing at a time. The wolf was too quick, too wild...rampaging without slowing or tiring. Did he fight it? Hold their ground and defend? Attempt to lead it away, with Will now injured or worse? Right now, they could only hope the wolf would not change its mind and ignore them as a target, and simply fend off its blows...

_'If the Sheriff was going to use this on all his men...' _ Robin shook the thought away, running and ducking from the werewolf's claws again, loading an arrow into his bow and drawing it back. He turned to face the wolf, that was focusing on attacking him for now, and took aim.

As he did so, another arrow whistled by, cutting through the wolf's shoulder and landing near Robin. The monster howled in pain and looked around, seeking out whatever had attacked it. The perpetrator was quickly spotted and the wolf snarled and roared, eyes wild with rage as it turned from Robin and bounded away. Robin slacked his bow and searched too for the archer who was now acting as bait to the wolf, and spotted a familiar figure running along the battlement walls that surrounded the castle grounds.

The Nightwatchman. _Marian_.

"Oh no you don't..." Robin muttered, drawing his bow again to take aim at the wolf, that was now smashing its claws into the stones of the wall and scaling it to reach its attacker. A hand pushed down on Robin's, lowering his bow.

"Wait!" Djaq was watching too, having pushed Robin's bow aside.

"If I do nothing, the creature will catch up with Marian!"

"No...look. She was already up the wall, and climbed down the other side before the wolf reached the top. She has a far distance from it, and it is giving chase. Better still...she's got it on the other side of the wall. Away from people. She will run to the forest...she has time, but not much. We have to get there too and help her." Djaq explained, her mind always being the one to work the quickest.

Reluctantly, Robin lowered his bow as the wolf disappeared over the wall, and signalled for his men to retreat back to the forest.

"Back to the forest! Marian has led it away but we have to help her, she cannot outrun it alone. Djaq, Much, take Will back to the camp, see to his wounds." He added, casting a guilty and worried look to Will's prone form as John handed him to Much. "Everyone else, with me. We've got to bring the wolf down before it catches Marian!"

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**AN: Reviews make me happy, and a happy author is a happy story...no, that's a wicked lie, there will be angst and more angst. I am evil. But yes, reviews please. I very much need feedback!**


	4. Wolf at Your Door

**********Ch 4**: Wolf at Your Door

**AN: Feedback would be greatly appreciated! I have a feeling this fic isn't being enjoyed, so after this chapter I'm going to wait for some feedback before posting another. Even just a few words saying if you're liking/disliking the fic, or what you think might happen. I do have some plans for where this will go, a few Guy/Marian moments too.**

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The Nightwatchman fled through the forest, deftly jumping over tangled roots and rushing by the whipping branches of the trees. In stark contrast, and in hot pursuit, the werewolf thundered through the forest behind her, claws tearing past anything that got in its way. Marian dared not cast a glance over her shoulder, lest she lose her footing. She soon found she did not need to look to know how close the werewolf was, for a claw swiped out and finally caught her, splitting the skin of her calf open. Marian cried out, falling forward over a rise in the ground, rolling down the slop on the other side and landing with a crash at the bottom. Pulling a dagger from her belt, she rolled onto her back pointing the blade up and waited with baited breath for the monster to appear over the edge of the slope above her.

...But it never came. Marian saw nothing, but heard plenty that sent shivers down her spine. A warped howl melting into the yell of a man, bones crunching and popping out of place, heavy footfall stumbling into the unsure footing of a barefoot man. The leaves crunched underfoot, leading away from Marian, though she still waited for a few minutes with only her shaking breath betraying her. Finally, when all was quiet, she slowly got up, wincing at the pain in her leg. Sheathing the dagger, she clambered up to the ledge where she had fallen, peering over to check that the coast was clear before pulling herself up and inspecting her wounded leg. Tearing a length of material from her cape, she wound it over the wound to stem the bleeding, before setting off for Robin's camp.

The wolf was gone, for now, but it was still in the forest somewhere. She had to warn him...

* * *

By the time Robin reached the forest, they had lost sight of them both, with only the trail of destruction left behind to follow.

"Split up. Find Marian!" Robin said, before rushing off into the forest. The trail showed the werewolf's path, but presumably Marian's would be much more weaving, trying to avoid the best. Split up, they would cover more ground.

It wasn't long before Robin's sharp eyes caught sight of a figure in the forest, limping in the direction of the camp. He caught up, putting a hand on Marian's shoulder. She whirled around, but as soon as she caught sight of Robin's face she relaxed.

"Robin..." She sighed, shifting her weight to her other leg for comfort. "Before you say _anything_, I know what I did was reckless...but that creature was running rings around you from ground level, it was the only way to-"

Robin shook his head, cupping Marian's face in his hands.

"I understand, though I do not like the idea of you putting yourself in danger, you saved a lot of lives today."

Marian smiled, bowing her head to hide it. The smile quickly faded, and she looked more urgently to Robin.

"Where did that creature come from? The Sheriff is constantly experimenting with weapons and exotic creatures for his cause, but that monster is unlike anything I have ever seen."

Robin began to lead her away towards the camp, eyeing the bandage on her leg with concern.

"Then you did not see the start of the event?"

"No...I heard the Sheriff was planning to show off a weapon and went to change into the Nightwatchman. I feared for the safety of the people. It would be just like him to show off a weapon by using it on the people he does not care about..."

Robin nodded in agreement, though his mind was elsewhere - Marian did not know that the werewolf was Guy. An explanation for another time, he felt. Right now, he needed to get her back to the camp, to get her leg seen to by Djaq and to check on Will.

"What happened there?" He asked, looking down at Marian's leg. She shrugged, brushing it off as was her way.

"I started to slow, I suppose. It just caught my leg, it's just a scratch. I'll be fine." She smiled to him, making a better effort to hide her limp so as not to worry Robin.

As they made their way to the camp, it was clear something was amiss. Robin's eyes narrowed and they quickened their pace best they could. He could see John, Much and Djaq in a circle around someone, weapons drawn and pointed at the one in the centre. When Robin and Marian entered the camp, the subject of the group's weapons became clear.

"Guy...what are you-" Marian started, then stopped when she realised the state he was in - his clothes were torn, bruises blotching his skin around the joints. He was swaying slightly where he stood, barefoot, his eyes unfocused and clouded with fever. In his hand was a dagger, though his grip looked weak, he kept turning wildly to point it at different members of the circle containing him.

"Wha...what is this...?" He growled, speech slurred, "The forest...why...why have you brought me here? What..." Guy groaned, screwing his eyes shut and using his free hand to hold his head, "...What have you poisoned me with? I cannot...my mind is clouded..."

"Nothing new there then, Gisborne, you were never the brightest bulb in the mind department." Robin scoffed. He couldn't help himself. Despite circumstances, Gisborne was still Gisborne. "Like following the Sheriff. Bad idea...if you're looking for who poisoned you, look to him. What did you do to deserve that, ey, his most loyal servant? Breathe in the wrong direction?"

Guy opened his eyes to glare at Robin, and it was then that he noticed Marian...still clad in her Nightwatchman gear. His eyes narrowed as her's widened in shock. Til now, Guy had no idea who the Nightwatchman was...and she found herself looking away from his gaze.

"..._You_?" He staggered forward, but was quickly pushed back by the circle.

"Answer the question, Gisborne. What did you do to fall from the Sheriff's good graces? What was he testing on you as your punishment? How much of it does he have?"

Guy looked back to Robin, hatred flashing in his eyes. But that look passed, and his eyes dulled weakly.

"...Please...H-" Before he could finish, Guy slumped forward, hitting the ground, out cold. Robin watched for a moment, weary of the other man, before letting out a small laugh.

"I swear he just got knocked out by his _pride _so he wouldn't have to finish uttering the word _Help_ to me..." He said. Sighing, he looked to John and nodded, silently asking him to move Guy onto one of the beds. He then looked to Djaq, who was sheathing her weapon. "...How's Will?"

"He will live." She said, turning to face Will's bed, "Maybe a sore head for a few days...and a sore back...but he will live."

Robin let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Djaq. We would have lost this battle a long time ago if it weren't for you."

Djaq smiled in thanks, then caught sight of Marian's leg. She did not need to be told, and took Marian further into the camp to treat her.

"Djaq...what happened to Guy?" Marian asked once they were out of earshot, "Why is he here?"

The Saracen looked confused for a moment, before deducing that Marian had not seen the start of the Sheriff's show.

"Marian, the werewolf, the monster that chased you through the forest...that was Gisborne."

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**AN: Please take a moment to leave a review, however short! I would love some feedback!**

**Also, reviews pay for Werewolf!Gisborne's flea treatment *nods***


	5. Death and Taxes

**Ch 5: Death and Taxes**

**AN: I actually flapped my arms in happiness at the two new reviews I got. :3 derp. Thank you, Guest #1, I assure you Robin and his gang will not kill Werewolf!Gisborne as that's not their way! No bloodshed, that's their general rule. :) Thank you Guest #2, glad you think it's an interesting idea! And thank you to the review I got earlier, MargaretThornton, you were my first review on this site!**

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"...Going to be honest, Robin, I _still _don't feel very safe."

"Well, what else are we meant to do, Much?"

The two men stood before a large tree near their camp, looking down at the still-unconcious Guy. After Djaq had tended to him best she could and the dust had settled, the problem of having the Sheriff's lieutenant in their camp arose. Especially one who had recently attempted to tear their faces off.

They could not return him to Nottingham, for fear of his risk to the public. Until they knew what to do with him...Robin had him chained to a tree to reassure his group of their safety.

"Well, let's face it, if he goes all..." Much stumbled on his words, then tried to mime a wolf badly, "All...you know...fangs and claws again...what's to say he doesn't break that chain and come for us anyway?"

"To be honest, Much," Robin clapped a hand on Much's shoulder with a smile, "He _might _just do that anyway when he wakes up and finds we've chained him to a tree..."

He turned away from the tree and headed back to the camp. He spotted Djaq and Marian in the corner, changing the bandage on her leg and deep in discussion about something. Robin made his way towards Will, however, wanting to check on his injured friend.

"How are you faring?" Robin asked with sympathy, sitting down on the edge of Will's bed. The younger man sat up, wincing a little.

"I'd feel better if the thing that did this to me wasn't in our camp." He admitted, running a hand over his bandaged head.

"Here, here." John agreed gruffly, having moved over to Will too and sitting some stew down on the table beside him. "The man was a monster and a killer before the Sheriff's...witchcraft or whatever it was."

"True, but we cannot let him leave...he is a threat to the innocent people if we let him go back to Nottingham. Before, he killed unfairly, true...but if we let him go back now, he could turn again and he will kill in a rampage. We can prevent that, so we must."

With no room for the other two men to argue further, Robin took his leave and made his way over to the two women.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, nodding to her leg.

"Better." Marian smiled, "And better than Guy will be feeling when he wakes up and finds that iron clamp around his neck."

Robin folded his arms and looked back over his shoulder to the tree outside the camp.

"Better than we would feel waking up with our limbs missing." He retorted, shifting his attention to Djaq, "Do you think he will wake up?"

Djaq finished binding Marian's leg and began putting her instruments away as she answered Robin's question.

"He's still fevered and ill. I cannot figure out how such a transformation was possible, but I have noticed one thing... The strain of his bones and muscles growing and reforming means they are permanently damaged. They do not return back completely to the way they were before, like how smoothing crumpled paper doesn't fix it fully. Each time he transforms, he will be more damaged when he returns to human form." Djaq finished putting away her instruments, and faced Robin and Marian fully. "Eventually, his body will be so mutated and broken he won't be able to turn back."

* * *

Guy's eyes flickered open slowly, blinking against the harsh light of the sun. Groaning, he stirred and tried to rise to his feet in spite of the unimaginable _aching _that was currently throbbing through his body. But as he tried, he was suddenly yanked back down the the ground by the chain around his neck that was binding him to the tree behind. Falling into a pile of leaves, Guy's hands leapt up to the offending chain at his neck, his lip pulling back into a snarl at the humiliation of it all. And he knew immediately who to blame...

"_**LOCKSLEEEEY!**_ _**LOCKSLEEEEEEY!**_"

It wasn't long before the arrogant swine himself appeared, followed closely by Marian.

"I think Gisborne's woken up, Marian." Robin said sarcastically, casting a glance back to Marian with a twinkle of mischief in his eye. "I always figured him to be a morning person..."

Guy glowered at Robin from under his brow.

"Unchain. Me. _Now_." He ground out from between clenched teeth, furious at being in such a position in front of Marian to the gloating of Robin.

"No can do, I'm afraid. And that's not just me beating you, Gisborne, that's for our safety. I'm guessing you don't remember your little tantrum in the castle walls or your run through the forest?" Robin asked, squatting down in front of Guy just out of his reach. The confusion on Guy's face answered that question, and so Robin moved on. "Alright...you must remember what you did to displease the Sheriff. What was it, ey, that could make the Sheriff punish his most _loyal _servant? Besides, you know, failing at every turn..."

Guy remained glowering at Robin for a moment, before grinding out an answer.

"...I helped _you_."

That threw Robin for a moment, but he quickly regained his confidence.

"Right. 'Course you did. The Sheriff not aware that trying to kill me every other Tuesday isn't helping?"

Guy shuffled back to lean his back against the tree, rolling his eyes at Robin.

"...I agree with the Sheriff and his cause. Those who commit crimes, however big or small, must be punished. Those that get away with crimes often seek to blame others, and it can ruin lives..." Guy growled at Robin, and a brief moment of knowing fell between the two men that left Marian feeling lost. The guilt in Robin's eyes, and the hatred in Guy's...something had happened that they both clearly had not resolved, that happened long before Marian came into the picture. She made a note to herself to ask one of them of it later as Guy continued.

"So I followed my orders. I killed those who would commit crimes, or rebel against the law. The law is all that keeps us in order...or the arrogant and _loved _would be allowed to get away with anything. We all must be treated the same in the eyes of the law, adored or not..." The conviction in Guy's eyes disappeared then, and he looked away, "...But of late, the Sheriff is not executing criminals who deserve it...he is simply calling for executions out of boredom. Picking up random folk from the streets and having them hanged with not even a breath of an accusation their way. I cannot be a part of that...so I started to lower the guard, call off the watches at the gates...so you could infiltrate the castle grounds easier. Don't get me wrong, Hood...I _hate _you. You are the enemy of my enemy, nothing more. I'm not doing this for you..." His gaze flicked to Marian long enough for his message to be clear.

_I'm doing this for her_.

* * *

**AN: Please leave a little feedback for me! Remember, reviews pay for Gizzy's flea treatments. Werewolf!Gisborne is going to have a bad case of fleas at this rate! D:**


	6. What Is It About Men and Glory?

**Ch. 6: What Is It About Men and Glory?**

**AN: Thank you to the guest reviewer who felt sorry for Guy. Personally, I felt more sorry for Will haha, poor guy... Thank you to DancingSock for dancing into my review box, I was very happy to hear I'm getting everyone in character! I admit, I was worried about getting Robin right... Thank you to LadyKate1, yes, Vaisey is far too much fun to write. I speak like he does in real life, worryingly, so it's not a push. :| And thanks again to MargaretThornton for her second review, I can assure you there will be Guy/Marian moments floating in soon!**

* * *

With very little else to do when chained to a tree, Guy had spent most of him time trying to find a semi-comfortable position to sleep in. If he was at all worried about what the outlaws were doing, he did not show it. He seemed quite happy to be kept away from them.

He was roused from his dozing by a soft thud to his right. Opening his eyes, he noted a pile of clothes had been dropped next to him. He turned to see who had delivered the clothes, and found Marian crouching on his left side, a set of keys in her hand.

"Mari-_ah!_" Before he could speak, she had put her hand against his cheek and pushed him to face the right again.

"Keep still, I need to be able to see the lock." She said, keys jangling on their hoop as she started to unlock the clasp on his neck. The metal fell away, freeing Guy from his tether.

"...Thank you. I assume Locksley doesn't know of this?" He asked, as he started to pick through the pile of clothes for something that fit him. Marian shrugged, doing her best not to oogle Guy's shirtless chest as he changed out of his shredded old shirt and put on a clean black one.

"No...but you'll freeze out here in those tatters you're wearing, and you cannot exactly put on a fresh shirt with a chain around your neck." She replied cooly, getting to her feet again. "Stay here; I will fetch you something to eat."

Marian headed back to the camp, intending to fetch some of the stew Much had made to bring back to Guy. But as she collected the bowl and turned, she nearly collided with Guy, who had decided to follow her into the camp. She gave a yelp of surprise, and it was only her deft reflexes that allowed her to catch the bowl without spilling its contents over Guy. Everyone else in the camp had grabbed their weapons as soon as they spotted the former-lieutenant, whereas Marian did not need one. She glowered at the taller man, eyes on fire.

"I thought I told you to stay by the tree!" She snapped, annoyed that Guy seemed incapable of _not _following her. "...You nearly ended up _wearing _your food..."

"And I thought I told you not to fraternize with outlaws." Guy responded with a smirk, casting a glance around, "But you seem quite at home here. You've been coming here for a long time, haven't you?"

Marian opened her mouth to deny the accusation, before snapping it shut - it was such a reflex for her, to simply deny any accusation Guy made of her mingling with Robin and his gang. But it wasn't exactly going to hold water here, in the very outlaw's camp.

"I've changed my mind." She said haughtily, flicking her wrist so the bowl hit Guy square in the chest, spilling stew all over him. "You _can _wear it."

Turning on her heel, she marched off to the other corner of the camp, sitting with her own food as Guy looked down in disgust at the food now dripping off his shirt. He picked a piece off with his finger and thumb and held it up.

"...How have you even _survived_ in these woods? ...Is this _squirrel?_"

Much slammed down his spoon angrily, ignoring Djaq and Will's smirks.

"It's _chicken!_ Why does everyone think it's _squirrel_?"

"We believe you, Much." Will said, nodding a little _too _kindly.

"Of course it's chicken," Djaq cooed, trying not to laugh, "Gisborne is just used to fancy, castle chickens. I hear there, the chickens have wings and feathers, not bushy tails..."

Guy flicked the offending piece of meat away, and looked around the camp.

"Clearly not one of you can cook or hunt..."

The effect was immediate - every person in the camp looked to him with anger and wounded pride in their eyes.

"And when was the last time _you _had to hunt for your own food? Or cook, for that matter?" Robin asked, putting his bowl down and walking over to Guy til they were practically nose-to-nose. "You should be grateful we are sharing."

"You're right. I've not had to hunt for my own food in some time." Guy admitted, though his smirk took away any sense of apology, "...But I could _still _do a better job than you, Locksley."

"Yeah?" Robin turned away from the taller man and looked to his gang, then picked up his bow. "Can you put your money where your mouth is?"

Guy folded his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Give me a weapon."

Djaq looked anxiously between the two before speaking up.

"Robin, this isn't a good idea...we do not know what causes him to change into the monster, and you are suggesting he goes out _hunting_?"

"Well, if he turns into a _mongrel_ and runs off into the woods, he's disqualified. Do your best to keep your clothes on, ey Gisborne?" Robin retorted, earning a fierce snarl and a wolfish growl of annoyance from Guy that caused some in the camp to jump. "One hour. Biggest catch wins!"

Marian could only groan and pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration. What was it about men and glory?

* * *

Just under an hour later, Robin had returned, pulling a large animal behind him, an arrow perfectly piercing its eye. He hauled it into the camp, looking very proud of himself.

"One...feral goat." He said, dropping the large creature down. "Gisborne not back yet? Not got long..."

"Why don't you bring stuff like that back every night?" Much asked in an accusatory tone. "...Actually, why don't you do the hunting instead of me anyway?"

"Because, Much, I'm normally out defending the poor or dodging arrows myself."

At this point, Gisborne arrived, dragging a larger creature along. Though he would never admit it, it seemed his new..._wolfish _characteristics...had given him an edge. His hearing was more acute, his sense of smell heightened, and he had a disturbing sense of where _prey _was. He had enjoyed the hunt more than he had felt comfortable admitting...

"That yours, Locksley?" He asked confidently, masking his inner concerns for now. He dropped his own catch next to Robin's. "Sheep's bigger than a goat. I reckon I win."

Robin made to protest, when his eyes drifted over Guy's shoulder. Someone else was walking back to the camp, dragging something behind them.

"...You have _got _to be kidding me..." He mumbled, realising who it was as Guy frowned and turned to look for himself.

Marian was approaching the camp, hauling the carcass of a huge stag, pulling it along with both hands by its antlers. Once she finally got it into the camp, she took a moment to catch her breath, then straightened up.

"A stag. I believe that beats you _both_." She said curtly, then strode off for a well-deserved rest, leaving both Guy and Robin to gawk at her.

"...Can she do that?" Robin asked, "...Can she? She wasn't part of the bet! Can she do that?"

"...I think she just did." Guy replied, looking at the stag on the ground in amazement.

* * *

**AN: Reviews really do make me motivated! Even if it's just a smiley face or a frowny face...please leave something! Go oooooon...Guy and Robin need some cheering up now!**


	7. Denounce Your God

**Ch 7: Denounce Your God**

**AN: Apologies for not updating the last few days, I've been very busy. But I felt I should post for Hallowe'en, and was motivated by a lovely note on Tumblr about my fic. :D Thank you again for all the reviews! DancingSock, LadyKate1, LadyBlackroseMusketeer and le guests, your reviews are very much appreciated and keep me motivated.**

* * *

Never had two men looked so sullen to eat dinner that evening.

The stag Marian had brought back from the hunt, cooked perfectly by Much, was rewarded with compliments from all in the camp, a proud smile from Marian and ducked heads of embarrassment from Guy and Robin.

"Did you settle on a forfeit for the loser?" Marian asked, a half-smirk playing on her lips and mischief glittering in her eyes.

"No." Both Robin and Guy answered in unison, far too quickly for it to be true, and quick enough to tell everyone that neither of them wanted to partake in the forfeit.

"Well then..." Marian got to her feet, gathering the plates up and handing half to Robin and half to Guy, "As winner, I declare that the losers should wash up."

"I agree." Much said heartily, balancing the pots and spoons he had used to cook the meal on top of the pile of plates. The two men glared at Much from over the piles of dirty dishes they now had, and he took his chance to scurry off before they threw said plates at him.

* * *

The two men exchanged no words as they went to fetch water from the stream to clean the dishes with, wounded pride and awkward association binding their tongues and sealing their lips. It wasn't until Guy suddenly stopped in his tracks that Robin turned, putting down his bucket of water and facing the other man, who he could barely see in the dim moonlight.

"What is it?"

Guy turned on the spot, putting a finger to his lips and earning a frown from Robin.

"...Do you hear that?"

Robin remained still, ears tuned to the air around them as he listened. The night made the forest eerily quiet.

"...Nothing, no."

Guy turned back to him - evidently, he was hearing something further away, something Robin would not hear before it was too late.

"Hoofbeats. Fast, approaching from the edge of the forest."

"The Sheriff's men...but why? I'd have thought you'd have scared them off for a few weeks at least."

"Apparently not..." Guy growled back, ignoring the jibe for now but making a note of it for later revenge. "We need to move. _Now_."

Indeed, as the men began rushing back to the camp, the hoofbeats increased in volume around them. Robin darted on ahead, as accustomed to running through the forest as he was to breathing, whereas Guy stumbled and fell, unused to the terrain and not knowing where roots would catch his feet or branches would grab at his clothes.

"Robin...Robin, wait!"

The horses burst through the trees around them, forming a wall between Robin and Guy before Robin could skid to a halt and turn to wait for him. They circled around the two men, cutting them both off from each other. Atop the only white horse there was the Sheriff, looking decidedly less terrified than when Robin had last seen him scrambling away from the monster he had accidentally unleashed.

"Oh I'm sorry...was I interrupting your romantic stroll in the moonlight?" He asked Robin, mockery dripping from his voice.

"Do I hear jealousy?" Robin retorted back quickly, acting as if the situation was no more worrisome to him than the weather.

"Not at all. My dogs are much better bred than this one." The Sheriff responded just as quickly, turning to face Gisborne.

As Guy looked up and caught the Sheriff's eyes, he felt something rising in his chest. His heart began pounding, his head began to swim with a fog and his ears began to ring with a high-pitched ringing that slowly increased to deafen him of any other sound. He fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around his torso in a bid to stop himself shaking. The horses around him backed way and some even reared up in panic.

The Sheriff's own horse backed away, though by his command.

"Quick! We need the evidence _removed_. Kill him before he-"

The crunching and cracking of bones proved the Sheriff's orders for his men had come too late - the fear of the wolf monster before them surpassed their fear of the Sheriff and many turned tail and ran for their lives, leaving the Sheriff and a few, more courageous men by his side.

Men more courageous than the Sheriff himself too, it seemed, for Vaisey quickly turned his horse to escape, leaving behind the command for the men left to capture the beast so they could kill it. As the Sheriff fled, the now fully-formed werewolf got to its feet, its eyes flashing in the moonlight and its fur blending into the darkness around them. It advanced upon the Sheriff's men, raising its claws to strike...when an arrow darted from behind them, striking the werewolf across the cheek. Its eyes then flicked to the man standing behind the men - Robin was stood, bow in hand, having fired an arrow through the wall of guards between them in a bid to get the wolf's attention. It worked, but not well; The werewolf howled in rage, sweeping its arms and knocking the guards away with only the sickening breaking of bones hinting to their fates. The wall now cleared, the werewolf targeted Robin.

Robin turned to flee into the forest, intending to lead the wolf into the depths of the confusing woodland that he knew well. But the werewolf had other ideas, and once Robin had darted away, the wold turned and fled in the opposite direction, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

"...No!" Robin yelled, giving chase...for the werewolf was running in the direction of the camp.

* * *

With the front entrance of the camp closed, the room filled with a snug heat and light to comfort the group against the cold night of the forest. Will had fallen into a doze where he was sitting, having slipped to the side slightly and ended up with his head resting against Djaq's shoulder. The man was still tired from his injuries, though he would not admit it openly.

Indeed, they were all tired and would have been asleep by now, was it not for the absence of two men.

"We should go searching for them." John grumbled again, having picked up his staff before in preparation. "They shouldn't be taking this long. What if Gisborne has-" He stopped himself, his fear for witchcraft forbidding him from speaking the evils.

Marian nodded, the fear of Guy's transformation weighing on her mind as much as anyone else's.

"I will go with you." She said, rising to her feet. No doubt if Robin had been there, he would have stopped her, but she heard no protest from the rest of the group as she went to fetch her bow.

As she and John made their way to the front entrance lever to open the wooden panel up, a loud bang of something hitting the front of the door stopped them in their tracks. Two, quieter thuds followed, accented by the clicks and scrapes of something sharp dragging along the wood outside.

"What was-" John began, but Marian's hand leapt up and cover his mouth before he could continue.

A snarl answered his unfinished question, a low rumbling that set their hearts on ice. The scraping trailed along the door to the right, then flicked away...the werewolf was outside the camp, and it was circling them.

"We need to draw it away...if it gets inside, it will kill us. This space is too enclosed, we would not be able to fight freely, and it would simply rampage." Marian hissed in a low voice, hoping the monster would not hear her. "Open the door...it's moved from the door...I will run out-No! I am the fastest-" She silenced Much's starting protest, "-and you follow once it has followed me from the camp. We can fight it better out in the open, there are more places to hide..."

Begrudgingly, knowing Robin would have his hide for allowing this, John nodded, knowing it was the only plan that could work. He opened the front entrance up, and Marian darted out into the night, the door swinging down to close behind her. It worked, and the werewolf which had climbed up to the grassy hill that was the concealed roof of their camp looked up from its investigation and snarled, leaping down from the roof and giving chase.

Marian lead the creature through the forest, and not long after could hear the group giving chase a distance behind her. Turning, she drew her bow and aimed at the werewolf. They would not have long before the group caught up and fought the creature, and the woman wished to avoid such bloodshed. She believed Guy was still in there, and could be reached.

"Guy...Guy, please...listen to me." She begged, bow still drawn. The werewolf had closed the gap between them and slowed its pace, circling Marian as its prey, "I do not want anyone to hurt you...you can fight this. You know who I am...you would not hurt me...remember me! Please!" Marian lowered her bow a little, locking eyes with the werewolf's. The creature stopped circling her, pausing for a moment then advancing towards her slowly. Marian lowered her bow a little more, thinking she was getting through to Guy. "That's it...you remember me, don't you? Guy?"

The werewolf was standing before her now, looking down on her...then she realised why. Her bow dropped from her fear-slackened grip, hitting the leaves on the ground under her.

She had been a fool...the wolf had not slowed because of her voice, and it did not remember her...it had slowed out of curiosity of her stopping...it had circled her out of suspicion of its prey suddenly giving up the chase...and it advanced upon her now satisfied that she was an easy meal and no longer able to run.

The wolf opened its jaws, snatching down to devour the woman before it. Marian's body moved in reflex, her survival instinct kicking in. She screamed and thrust her hands out, slamming into the werewolf's chest in vain...

* * *

When Robin and the gang caught up, the sight that met their eyes was not the one they expected.

Marian was standing over the huge, fallen body of the werewolf, shaking from head to foot and as pale as snow, her hands held out in front of her wide, shocked eyes as if they offended her to be part of her.

At her feet, twin daggers were sticking out of the wolf's chest, and it was not moving...

* * *

**AN: Happy Hallowe'en guys! **


	8. Always Different Directions

**Ch 8: Always Different Directions**

**AN: Sorry for the wait between updates lately! I am overrun with uni work and other commitments. I will try and update at least once a week, but my education comes first. **

**Also, some of you may be thinking "Hey, Ice has remembered to mention every character in Robin's gang except Allan A Dale...they forgot about him!" I **_**didn't **_**forget Allan A Dale. I just...neglected to facilitate him into the overarching narrative and made deep and intricate plans to bring forth the character as a catalyst for an exciting plot twist later so that...**

**...**

**...Okay, yes, I forgot about Allan A Dale. ;A; Absolutely and 100% forgot he existed. How, I will never understand. But I did. Forgive me. **

* * *

Marian was frozen to the spot, staring at her own trembling hands. She was no wilting flower, nor was she faint of heart...but coming face-to-face with such an unnatural creature, a monster normally left to the wild imagination of the superstitious and the storytellers? Even the hardiest of fighters would tremble before the unholy might and terror of a werewolf, seeing the last of their life disappearing down the gullet of the wolf.

Her hands were suddenly clasped together and encased in the warmth of another's. Looking up dimly, Marian's eyes found Robin's own.

"Marian...say something. Please...anything." He asked, concern for the woman lacing his voice.

She blinked, opened her mouth and tried to speak, nothing but a squeaking coming out of her strangled throat. She looked down again at the fallen creature at her feet.

...No. This petty display of weakness was unbecoming. She was the Nightwatchman. She fought alone for years. She did not need to be coddled out of some frozen fear.

"...I am fine." Marian said, her voice coming steadier than she felt. "G-The werewolf was surrounding the camp." She said, looking back up at Robin's eyes. It hurt to refer to the creature at her feet as Guy. It hurt to think...she had killed him. "I had to lead it away, or it would have broken in and fighting it in such a confined space wo-"

Robin shook his head, cutting her off.

"I know, I know...you don't have to explain. You did the right thing...though I don't think I'll ever be happy with the danger you put yourself in for us, it's what you do. And all that matters right now is that you're safe."

As he spoke, Robin guided Marian away from the fallen body of the werewolf. He cast a glance over her shoulder to John, who was crouched by the wolf checking it for signs of life. He looked up at Robin and shook his head, then moved away from the creature. Robin swallowed - he had no love for Gisborne, but he knew, despite herself, Marian cared for the man in a way. Some instinct to want to save him, to give him a path to redeem himself, caused Marian to care more for Guy than either Marian or Robin would like to admit.

As the outlaw steeled himself to tell Marian the news she was hoping against, she suddenly pushed Robin away, her gaze fixed over his shoulder and her brows knotting into a frown. Confused, Robin turned to see what she was looking at...

Guy of Gisborne, in torn clothes and barefoot, stumbled through the undergrowth into the clearing, his hair matted and his skin once again blackened with bruises. He looked up at Robin and Marian through tired eyes.

"...The Sheriff really does bring out the worst in me." He said gruffly, a lopsided smile on his face. This smile quickly faded as Marian stormed towards him, and immediately slapped him across the face, with enough force to knock the weakened man backwards onto the ground.

"You! I...I thought! How did you?! I thought I had..." Marian flustered, tears betraying her angry eyes and slipping down her face as Guy looked up at her bewildered as to what had caused her fury and sadness. "I thought I had _killed _you! I thought you tried to kill _me_! ...How is _that _not _you?!_" She demanded, pointing back to the fallen werewolf behind her. With her free hand, she swatted away the tears on her face, annoyed at herself for such a display of emotions. But she had been steeling herself for the painful truth that she had killed someone...only to find that very someone swanning in without a care!

Guy got to his feet, and made awkwardly to hold Marian and say something, but not knowing for the world what to say. Social skills were not his forté, and he often found himself stumbling and clumsy when trying to console anyone. So he faltered, then turned away, deciding instead to make his way over to the fallen wolfman that was not him.

He crouched down by it, inspecting the dead monster with a look of disdain. He had never seen the creature himself, and the thought of looking like this to anyone was a blow to Guy's vanity. An ugly, twisted creature, half-man, half-wolf...repulsive.

"The Sheriff would not risk trialing the poison on anyone else." Guy noted, straightening up, "He is a coward...he tested it first on me only on the guarantee he could control the power it would create. When it turned out he could not, he ran. He wouldn't risk it again, not without solid proof."

Robin nodded in agreement of Guy's evaluation.

"Then someone else is experimenting with the poison. The Sheriff isn't smart enough to make such a thing."

"No, he has to _kidnap_ others to do his alchemy for him..." Djaq noted bitterly.

"Whoever has created this poison for the Sheriff has let his pride get the better of him. It didn't work perfectly the first time, and he'll be suffering the Sheriff's disapproval for it. So now he's experimenting to get it right." Robin deduced, though the news brought no comfort - one werewolf was bad enough. "But now...we have something to work with."

The confused looks of the others caused Robin to smirk, then explain his plan with pride. "John, you said whatever caused these transformations was witchcraft. I'm going to guess it isn't...but whatever twisted science is behind it is corrupt enough to be as bad as witchcraft. And an accusation of witchcraft will be enough to strike a blow to the Sheriff. A _big _blow. Not even Prince John can help Vaisey weasel his way out of a crime against _God_. Vaisey knows this, but he took the risk of making these wolves thinking that no-one would _dare _accuse him of witchcraft through fear of being made food for the werewolves he controlled. But he _doesn't _control them, so there is no fear against speaking out!"

Robin moved towards the werewolf's body, and motioned to John, Djaq and Will. "A heavy accusation like that needs proof. Otherwise, we'd have emptily accused the Sheriff of witchcraft long ago if we thought just the word would bring him under fire. That's where _this _comes in." Robin nudged the toe of his boot into the wolf. "Proof. The body of an abomination, created by the Sheriff. Only God can create creatures, right? I'm sure the abbey will be _horrified _to be shown this, and the Church is a powerful body. They'll have to act, they'll have to help us bring the Sheriff down."

"...You want us to drag _that _to the abbey?" Will asked, looking down at the wolf. "...Robin, if the Sheriff finds out his poison-maker's been experimenting and has left evidence in the forest, he'll be sending all his men out to find the body and have it destroyed. He'll know it could be used against him."

"The Sheriff and his men will be otherwise _occupied_." Robin smiled, clapping a hand on Will's shoulder. "While you're lugging this to the abbey, we'll be getting into the castle to take the poison and make sure it cannot be used again."

"_We_?" Guy questioned, raising an eyebrow at Robin.

"Well, if you're scared, me and Marian will go without you." Robin smirked. Guy growled at him, revealing wolfish teeth - Djaq had been right. He wasn't returning fully to human form each time he transformed.

"I'll go." Guy growled, narrowing his eyes at Robin.


	9. Corruption

**Ch 9: Corruption**

With their tasks assigned and the plan in place, the outlaws went their separate ways towards the same goal: Bringing down the Sheriff of Nottingham. With the support of the Church at their side, surely this was it for the corrupt Sheriff.

Robin, Marian and Guy made their way through the forest towards its edge, heading for the castle. Few words were exchanged between the trio, an awkward silence resting heavily over their shoulders and averting each gaze. It was Guy who eventually broke the silence, a pained question tumbling from his mouth.

"Why are you taking me with you? To the Sheriff?"

Robin stopped in his tracks, causing the other two behind him to halt as well. The others hadn't seen Guy's second transformation, and didn't know what the two men had; The sight of the Sheriff, and Guy's anger towards the man, had been what caused him to transform into the monster. The man who had turned Guy into monster during his time as his lieutenant, ironically, turned Guy into a real monster now. It was madness to take the man with them...if he couldn't keep his anger in check, Guy would no doubt attack anyone in sight, Robin and Marian included. He seemed to collect his thoughts for a moment, before turning to face Guy.

"You want to stop the Sheriff. So you're going to help us do it." He said, his voice clipped and curt as if he didn't want to admit the fact.

Guy's lip curled, revealing the wolfish-sharp teeth that had failed to return to human form from his last transformation.

"You know that's not what I meant, Locksley..."

Marian looked between the two, confused by the animosity. It was nothing new to see the pair glaring daggers at each other, but this was of a different vein entirely. She could sense it.

"What's going on?" She asked neither one of them in particular, "Why shouldn't Guy come with us?"

Robin didn't break eye contact with Guy, and seemingly ignored Marian's question.

"You'll be fine." He said at last, "I can't exactly leave you in the forest on your own. I'd rather know where you are." It wasn't the best situation, bringing Guy with them, but Robin knew that the wolf was more of a risk when they didn't know where it _was_. Djaq and the others could return to the camp before him and Marian. If Robin left Guy behind and he suddenly transformed and ran off, then they would be in danger, potentially trapped in the camp with a werewolf roaming the forest.

This, apparently, was not the answer Guy was looking for, as he took a step towards Robin.

"So you're going to _keep an eye on me_?" He spat, teeth bared, "_That's _your plan to keep her safe?! _Keep an eye on me_?!"

"What else can I do, Gisborne? Chain you to a tree at the camp? What if you transform there whilst we're gone, and we come back, unprepared, to a wolf waiting in the camp? I won't put my friends in danger!" Robin retorted, unafraid of Guy's anger. "You're coming with me so, yes, I can keep an eye on you! You have my word - Marian will be safe."

It was Marian's turn to get annoyed at this, as she snapped at the two:

"_Marian_ is here and can take care of herself!" She looked between the pair again, getting more and more frustrated at being kept out of the loop. "What's going on? Why would Guy be any more of a risk with us than left at the camp? I thought you'd _want _to help us take the Sheriff down?" She added, turning to Guy. The dark haired man caught her eye at this, and seemingly calmed down a little, sighing heavily through flared nostrils.

"I _do_." He assured her, "But...the last time I...I..." Guy stopped and growled, feeling a fool for even entertaining the idea of werewolves and _transforming_, let alone talking about it. "It was because of the Sheriff. For what he's done, I...my anger got the better of me." He finished, not wanting to discuss it any further.

Realising the issue, Marian averted her eyes to the ground. Then it was a problem, taking Guy with them could mean he would lose control again in the face of the Sheriff. Before she could make some attempt to assure Guy, Robin spoke again.

"You have my word, if the wolf comes back..." He stopped, and gestured to his bow. Guy scoffed, rolling his eyes at the gesture.

"Right..." He mumbled, starting to walk towards the castle again.

* * *

As it was, having Guy with them proved to be a boon. The man knew the castle like the back of his hand, including its secret exits. Infiltrating the castle had been a quiet affair, and they were soon creeping through the stone-walled corridors of the building. They had spotted the poison-maker walking through the halls, and taken cover behind a wall.

"The poison-maker's chambers were on the first floor..." Guy said in a hushed tone as they moved through the castle, "But his work chambers were on the basement level."

"If he's been making more, he might not keep it all in his work chambers." Marian noted, peering around the corner to check for guards as she spoke, "Especially if the Sheriff doesn't know he's continued with his work...he might have hidden some in his own chambers or elsewhere. This is going to be a _nightmare_..."

"Then we split up." Robin ordered, "Gisborne, you know where the work chambers are? Head down there and grab the poison. If there's a lot of it, burn everything but two vials. Bring them back with you."

"...Why two?" Guy asked, frowning.

"Always have a back-up." Robin smirked at Guy, "This is why our win-loss ratio is in my favour. You never have a back-up plan. _I _always do."

"Yeah?" Guy raised his eyebrows sceptically at Robin, "Sorry, _what _was your back up plan for me chewing your head off? You only mentioned one plan in the forest..."

"Stop it, both of you!" Marian hissed, pulling back from her scouting and setting the pair with a stern glare, "Robin...I'll head to the poison-maker's personal chambers and see if he's stashed anything in there. We don't want him replicating it after we destroy it all..."

Robin nodded in agreement, though he wasn't entirely happy with Marian going off on her own, he was getting used to the fact she frequently _did _and held her own just fine.

"And I'll go catch up with the man himself...see what he can tell us and if he has been hiding the poison anywhere else. We meet back at the exit tunnel. Agreed?"

With affirmative nods, the three set out to complete their tasks. Marian darted silently through the castle. She knew the halls almost as well as Guy, and it wasn't long before she had found the poison-maker's rooms. She quietly slipped inside and looked around the room. The man himself, as expected, was not there.

The room itself was in disarray, with papers and parchment strewn about the place, decorated with diagrams and theories Marian could only speculate at. She rummaged through, taking up any papers that looked like they could be linked to the poison, before thinking better of it and setting about burning _all _the papers in the hearth. No doubt his other works would be just as wicked and best removed, she reasoned, as she watched the papers curl in the flames.

She then checked the rest of the room, running her hands along the walls and floors to check for any hidden compartments that could house his poisons. Admittedly, she was hoping to find something more - an antidote. Something that would cure Guy of the unnatural ailment, and return him to his normal self. Not just for his sake, but...if Marian were being true to herself, her own. The sight of him transforming was not the greatest horror to Marian, rather...the sight when he transformed _back_. Each time he returned to his human form, he was not quite the same. Each time, something about him was lost, permanently caught in the form of the monster. The sight of his sharp teeth earlier had made Marian jump, and her heart sink with realisation that it would only get worse, that he would continue to lose something each time until one day...he won't come back at all.

The same fear she had had each time Guy had gone off to carry out the Sheriff's orders, that each time he did so he lost a little of what made Guy a good man at heart, replaced with the wicked influence of the Sheriff. She shook off the thought, finishing her search of the room with a heavy heart. There was nothing here, no poison, no antidote, no cure.

...And yet, as Marian made to leave the room, the little flicker of hope he had held for Guy remained in her heart. She had hoped for him being cured of the Sheriff's corruption long before his poisoning. That little flame would not be snuffed out just yet.

* * *

**AN: A slightly boring chapter, I fear, but I couldn't just leap into the final chapters without getting them to the castle. **

**I am aware I've not been updating regularly - apologies. I have been, and still am, very busy. BUT, I find myself with some time tonight, so I have typed this chapter and might get another done and uploaded in the next few hours. Two updates in one night, to make up for the lack of updates recently! **

**...And the lack of Allan A Dale generally. Seriously. I can't believe I forgot to add him to this story...**


	10. No One Left Behind

**Ch 10: No One Left Behind**

Of course it had been going too smoothly.

As Marian ran through the corridors of the castle, her task of searching the poison-maker's room for any hidden stashes of the vile sorcery he had created, she inwardly cursed herself. Did they _really _think they could sneak in, grab what they needed from under the Sheriff's nose, and sneak out without a hitch? When did they _ever _manage such a thing?

In her defense, it had not been her who had alerted the guards, and she would bet her sword that it had not been Guy; Robin had followed the poison-maker to question him of any possible locations he may have stored the poison or work as a back-up for himself. No doubt the man had alerted the guard the first chance he had gotten.

Marian took out two guards who had started to gain on her, and was about to take out a third when the guard crumpled to the ground in front of her, out-cold from a heavy blow to the back of the head. As he fell, Guy appeared in her line of side, having hit the guard with the hilt of his sword.

"Any luck?" He asked her as they made their way to the exit tunnel Guy had shown them in through.

"I found his written recordings of his work and destroyed it. He won't be making any more. I couldn't see anything about an antidote though." Marian reported her findings from the poison-makers rooms. Guy frowned at her, confused by her last statement.

"An antidote? ...Never even crossed my mind." He admitted, "I thought Hood was just concerned about the poison being used on anyone else first and foremost."

"He is." Marian responded curtly to hide her own embarrassment, "...I was concerned with finding an antidote. It could be useful."

It took a second for Guy to understand what she was saying, or moreover, what she was implying. But, before he could inquire to her concern for him, more guards rounded the corner, heading for them. Guy drew his sword with a snarl, baring his unnaturally sharp teeth again.

"Locksley's taking his sweet time..." He growled, before taking out the first guard that arrived.

"Oh, you know what he's like," Marian smiled, speaking far too casually for a woman engaged in combat. She knocked out two guards in quick succession, smirking at the look of surprise mixed with respect on Guy's face, "He has to make a fancy exit. He's probably just delivering one of his witty comments before he makes his escape. I _swear _he practices his little speeches."

There wasn't much more time for talk though, as the guards just kept coming. Knocking more to the ground, Guy turned and threw a small vial to Marian. She caught it, looking at it in confusion.

"Back-up." Guy explained, doing battle with another guard, "First chance you get, get out of here!"

Marian was quick, and didn't need to think long to figure out what Guy was implying.

"I'm not leaving you behind!" She snapped, pocketing the poison and turning in time to punch another guard in the face, "That's not how we work!"

"She's right!"

An arrow whistled past, lodging into the shoulder of one of the guards fighting Marian. Robin had finally appeared, with a look so smug Guy could have quite happily stopped fighting the guards to go and punch _him_ in the face.

"Running a little slow today, Locksley!" Guy spat, clearly unimpressed by Robin's tardiness.

"What can I say? I'm a popular man! People never seem to want me to get away!" Robin replyed, beating back a few guards with a quick whack of his bow. "I'm a bit of a celebrity around these parts."

The three fought against the wave of guards for a while longer, backing slowly towards the exit to make their escape. It quickly became evident they were in trouble - even if they made it through the door and down the secret exit out of the castle, the number of guards chasing them would be too much, the risk of them catching up too high. If they all got caught, it was over, the poison would never get out of the castle and as further, damning proof against the Sheriff.

"We can't keep this up. We make a run for it now or never." Guy said, nodding over to the door. Robin cast a quick glance to the door. It was a risk, turning their backs and running from such a large number of guards, but the longer they fought, the more tired and slower they'd be when they eventually did get away to run for it. If they were going to try and get away, now would be the best time.

"Right." Robin agreed, unhappy with the situation but willing to take the risk. He threw back a few more guards, then turned to run to the door. He yanked it open and beckoned Marian through. She turned to check Guy was able to get away from the guards too and, satisfied he was, made for the exit tunnel. But as the pair turned to check Guy was behind them, they saw the man slam the door shut from the other side, wedging it shut with the door bar.

"_Guy, no!_"

The sound of battle continued behind the closed door as Marian ran back, trying desperately to yank the door back open. She pulled and pushed, hitting her hands against the door in frustration.

"Guy! _Guy!_"

"GO!" Came a roar from the other side of the door, "I'll hold them off, but you've got to go NOW!"

Marian stopped her assault against the door, as the sounds of battle turned into the howls and snarls of a wolf, horror and sadness washing over her; Guy had transformed to cope with the onslaught of guards, to hold them at bay for as long as possible and give her and Robin as much time to escape as he could. Even Robin's hand against her shoulder, gently trying to coax her from the door, did nothing to ease her heart.

"Marian...he's right. We have to get that poison out, the get the evidence out against the Sheriff. Those guards would have caught up with us, there was too many...I don't want to leave anyone behind...but we have to go. We have to stop the Sheriff."

Numbly, she turned from the door, tears in her eyes, and began to run down the exit tunnel with tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She tried to ignore the sounds of the wolf behind them getting weaker, howls turning to yelps of pain as Guy was no doubt overwhelmed by the blades of the Sheriff's men...

* * *

With the vial of poison successfully obtained and taken from the castle, and Djaq, Will, John and Much successful in their journey to the abbey, the Sheriff's defeat seemed all but assured. The Church's outrage at the evidence of witchcraft, and the outrage of the rest of the country was too great for even Prince John to calm with his influence and bribes.

If ever there was a time for celebration, this was it.

And yet, as Marian sat holding a cup weakly in her hands watching the others laugh and enjoy themselves, revelling in their hard-earned and long-awaited success, she could not say that she felt the need to join them.

She cast her eyes down to the surface of her drink, lost in her own thoughts. So wrapped up in her numbness was she that when Robin came to sit beside her, she barely noticed until he spoke up:

"Are you okay?"

Marian did not reply straight away, her eyes still fixed upon the cup in her hands. Eventually, she spoke:

"...He did redeem himself...didn't he? In the end?"

She heard Robin sigh, leaning forward to rest his arms against his knees as he thought.

"Gisborne caused much pain and suffering to the people of Nottingham. I don't know if he redeemed himself. I don't know if he ever could. But...I do know this..." He turned to face Marian, cupping her cheek in his hand and turning her to face him. "He did the right thing in the end."

* * *

A short distance from Robin and Marian, an arrow-tip glinted between the branches of a bush, its wielder hidden from view as he took aim at Robin Hood. As the man prepared to loose the arrow, a hand clamped around his mouth from behind, pulling him backwards and knocking him out with a quick blow to the back of the head.

Allan A Dale gave a sigh, looking down at the man he had just knocked out cold.

"Sheriff not know when he's beaten or something?" He asked, looking at the man standing nearby, leaning against a tree, "Sending _one _assassin out to retrieve the evidence against him seems a bit...pointless."

"Last ditch attempt."

Allan shrugged, nodding a little in understanding.

"I guess. Good job we're here then." He quipped, looking over to the other man, "Listen, I'm not being funny but...why don't you go tell them you're alright? They're probably worried, you know."

Guy looked up then, revealing how his last transformation had effected him; His eyes had remained as his wolf form's, the sclera black and the irises yellow. He walked over to stand near Allan, looking out over the camp, out of sight from the outlaws. He watched Marian and Robin, and for a moment, it seemed as though the man would go down to tell the pair he had managed to escape the castle too. But then, a sadness reflected in his eyes and Guy turned away, walking away from the camp.

"She doesn't need to know..."

_~ End_ ~

**AN: Ta-da! Look who finally showed up, just as I ended the fic. Sorry, Allan. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this little fanfic. It might become a series of fics, I don't know yet. It's left open just in case though. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


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